Right now HMS and JGR seem to be the factors,but the rest will catch up.BK is leading the points,hasn't won a race yet and Penske isn't running as well as HMS or JGR.Early in the season yet and i don't see what the fuss is about, aside maybe Danicas' hopes of making rookie of the year or even finishing in the top 20. Some of us are optomistic and some realistic!

michaeljohn wrote:id hit the panic button if this was week 10 and things havent improved.

Honestly with his fringe top-10 speed, if they can get some luck I'm not too worried about him making it. He can run top-10 in points if he finishes top-10 enough, but obviously that won't get him close to the title.

"This one's for every one of those fans in the stands that pull for me every week and take all the bull**** from everybody else." - Tony Stewart, July 29, 2007

I support Smoke because I picked him to be my driver.... Chase or not. I didn't jump on the band wagon just to jump off again. He has proved his driving ability time and time again. No worries. GO SMOKE!!!

i'm not worried in the least. honestly, not everyone's gonna make the chase every year. NOT saying that Tony won't make it this year - just saying he has had tough years, as do all drivers. ####, he missed the chase a year after he won a championship ('06).

I'm sure he'll bounce back this season though! Everyone knows the early weeks are not his best time of the season. Kind of like how he's not a morning person - he's not an early season person.

"If it works for you, do it. If its how you feel, act it. Just be yourself, and if being yourself means being cocky once in a while, have at it." ~Tony Stewart

rckblykitn wrote:i'm not worried in the least. honestly, not everyone's gonna make the chase every year. NOT saying that Tony won't make it this year - just saying he has had tough years, as do all drivers. ####, he missed the chase a year after he won a championship ('06).

I'm sure he'll bounce back this season though! Everyone knows the early weeks are not his best time of the season. Kind of like how he's not a morning person - he's not an early season person.

For his worst year points wise to be 11th, pretty darn sporty. Good analogy comparing mornings to the early weeks of the season. If the end of the year is late night, 2011 makes more sense seeing as Tony said that's his prime time of the day.

Honestly after 2011 I don't really even care about points because I know anything can happen once we hit Chase time. Yes it would be nice for him to win the title and score the most cumulative points over the course of a year (wish he had in '11, would shut Edwards' fans up) but this is the tenth year with this system, they all know how it works, so you can't really say someone got screwed out of a title now. It's like saying the team that won the most games in a baseball season but lose - or don't even make it to - the World Series got screwed.

I'm more interested in wins right now. I want to see Tony extend his streak to 15 years, if he wins one this year, one in 2014, and one in 2015, he surpasses Ricky Rudd and Rusty Wallace's modern-era record of 16. More importantly just want to see him have something to celebrate, after the first few weeks of 2012 there wasn't a ton to smile about. Daytona in July was great but that's it's own animal, would be nice to have them go out and have a no-doubter victory here soon. And hopefully one at Atlanta in September.

"This one's for every one of those fans in the stands that pull for me every week and take all the bull**** from everybody else." - Tony Stewart, July 29, 2007

Can some Tony fan show me some stats from when he DID do well at the beginning of the season? LOL

Tony heats up like the weather... LOL Always has.

Also...please... let's let Jennifer ( or anyone else ) have their say without beating on her in a personal way. One positive thing about her blog, is it has made people stand up and cheer ... and show their Tony pride & faith.

It's too early to say Tony won't make the chase. Other things happened in 2006 that had him miss the chase. Accident at Charlotte race in Nationwide and Cup for 2 of those things. Him winning early last year was not usual for him. He has always started winning when it gets hot and slick. In 2011 he didn't win until the chase and won 5 races. Tony will be fine. He needs our support and love, don't give up so soon.